Photo of the Month | December - Palmetto Bella Magazine

Ken Mayo

December 3, 2019

Memories – that is the joy one gets from a camera. That is what photography is all about.

As a kid I remember loving to look at family photo albums and watching my father play with the new polaroid instant camera given to him as a Christmas present in the mid to late 60’s. At that time in life family was everything, and on every holiday occasion he would have with him that camera and would be snapping shots and joyously handing them out to anyone that found themselves in his line of sight. It was fun watching him and the laughs he created with aunts, uncles and cousins.

It wasn’t until 2000 that the bug caught me. That was the year I first held in my hands my own camera, and like my father before me I was instantly hooked with a hobby, actually, a passion I never anticipated. My favorite subject then, my daughter, who at first was reluctant to pose, but quickly caught on. My what a beautiful smile she has if I do say so myself.

I went from the small Kodak 1.3 megapixel, to an Olympus 3 megapixel and eventually to Canon’s line of DSLR’s – 10D, 20D, 40D, 1D Mark II N and now the wonderful 5D Mark IV with all the necessary lenses that create amazing results.
There is so much you can learn about settings, lighting, composition etc., but when it’s all said and done the
technology today is quite amazing.

With a brother that use to run pool leagues in Tampa I found myself functioning as the team (camera) shooter on a trip to Vegas. Not often when you see a composition that you know will be a winner. This one was (IMHO). The lighting was perfect!

Ken Mayo

From Philadelphia to Florida and now Aiken, SC, Ken Mayo has photographed friends, strangers (with permission of course), weddings, wildlife, greyhounds, sunsets, golf courses, many landmarks and monuments and even taught photography classes for home school programs. After his childhood, four years in the service, college, grad school and a 30 plus year career in the political trenches he, too, now has a (professional hobby) that, like his father, finds pleasure in seeing the joy it brings to others.

Ken Mayo

In the know

It’s Springtime!

This little avian family Chose to live at the best address In the best small town in all the South! Now, how smart can that be? The welcome sign was clearly in view And Mrs. Wren knew exactly what to do. A welcoming door, a basket of dogwood A habitat so natural, it looked so good No matter the flowers were artificial The location was perfect, so beneficial. A place protected from wind, sun, and rain Maternal instinct her place to claim The nest, a masterpiece of architecture A perfect place her brood to nurture. Eggs — three, perfect and sky blue When they would hatch only mother knew A

Aiken Center for the Arts Exhibition: Grounded

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch, the Aiken Center for the Arts (ACA) presents a collective exhibition of works to celebrate the splendor of historic Rye Patch and Hopelands Gardens as shared spaces of community, connection, and inspiration. Hopelands Gardens and Rye Patch have provided a quiet and peaceful haven for citizens and visitors as well as inspiration to write, paint, sculpt, and photograph. Since 1971 the nonprofit Friends of Hopelands and Rye Patch has worked to raise funds for the preservation, improvement, and use of these historic properties as treasures of the Aiken community. Now in their 50th year of service, Friends

My Mask

You say you recognize my mask, made by a mutual friend from fabric your Mother left behind. And smiling, I recall the neat piles of fabric always surrounding my own Mother. So many years of sunlight streaming down on her bent head As she trundled the machine, deft hands guiding the needle, Gentle tugs to keep things right. Seersucker bedspreads, poodle skirts, crinoline slips, gently made for two young sisters. Curtains for every window in every house. My own first effort — a nursery draped in yellow baby ducks. So, in your prayers tonight, thank your Mother for the mask that’s keeping me safe today, the mask that has held

Animal Conservation, a Million Dollar Business

Aiken Artists support the rescue efforts of endangered animals through art Paul Swart, from Rhino Conservation Botswana, was the featured speaker at the Aiken Center for the Arts on Friday, February 18. He explained that poverty in Botswana is a motivating factor for poaching rhinos. “The horn is believed to have medicinal value and can produce enough powder to earn $65,000 on the black market in Asia,” he said. There are fewer than 30,000 black and white rhinos left in the world. Through efforts to transport, guard, and breed these animals, conservationists strive to keep the species from extinction, but it is a million dollar business. The government provides some